In a network, there are many different kinds of network devices, each performing different types of functions. For example, a router routes/forwards packets from an external network to an internal network, and vice versa. A switch connects different types of networked devices like printers, different types of servers and computers in a network. A network device may support a feature like network address translation, firewall or domain name services, etc.
Different types of network management system software are employed to configure and monitor different network management systems. Network management software is typically tied to the devices with which the software can operate. When the network device software version or the vendor of a network device changes, the network management software typically cannot incorporate those changes. For example, if a customer is using network devices manufactured by Company A and then decides to buy and deploy network devices from Company B, a single network management software product will not work with network devices of both Company A and Company B.
Additionally, network management is usually performed from a central location with a collection of modules running at different network nodes assisting a central management node. A client software instance needs to be installed on the network devices for them to be able to talk to the management device. Customers typically do not want to install monitoring or configuring software on their network devices because these modules can slow the normal operations of the network devices.